NEWS
Venezuelan work permit exemption extended to December 31
Work permit exemptions granted to Venezuelan nationals in TT registered under the Migrant Registration Framework have been extended to December 31. A statement from the Ministry of National Security said registered Venezuelan nationals are invited to visit the relevant Immigration Division, Enforcement Unit office from June 20 to July 28 to process their extended permits and update their registration cards. A list of the minister’s permits numbers will be posted to the Ministry of National Security’s website at https://nationalsecurity.gov.tt/services/workpermitexemptionextension/, and social media pages, indicating the scheduled dates when people holding those card numbers must visit the relevant Immigration office. Read more here
Floods caused by Sunday’s record rainfall... Met Office warns citizens to stay alert
With over half the average June month of rainfall falling within 36 hours, parts of southern Trinidad remained underwater for a second night last evening. The passage of a low-level trough and fast-moving tropical wave had brought multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the country since early Sunday morning, with additional rainfall yesterday exacerbating flooding across the South Oropouche River Basin. Across central and southern areas, rainfall totals ranged between 75 and 100 millimetres, with isolated totals exceeding 150 millimetres across southwestern regions—namely parts of Batchyia Village and surrounding areas based on automated weather station data. An average June produces 243.4 millimetres of rainfall at Piarco. Read more here
POLITICS
Education Ministry: Revision programme not 'knee-jerk' reaction
The Ministry of Education (MoE), in a statement sent on Monday, denied claims that the expansion of its Vacation Revision Programme (VRP) was a knee-jerk reaction to a decline in the performance of students in the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examinations. It said the VRP along with the ministry's Remedial Education Programme (REP) – ongoing in 106 schools (80 primary and 26 secondary) – were tangible actions taken to address the long-standing issues of student achievement and equity in educational opportunity. Read more here
UNC in unity talks with smaller parties ... Kamla claims PNM set to implement 25% inheritance tax plan
The Keith Rowley administration must say if it intends to launch a 25 per cent “inheritance tax” on beneficiaries of deceased persons, says UNC leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar who’s also revealed her party has started talks with other parties to fight the upcoming Local Government election. Speaking at last night’s Monday Night Report at the SWAHA Hindu College in Sangre Grande, Persad-Bissessar said, "Tonight, I have to warn you that worse is yet to come. The property tax is only the beginning. The Rowley PNM plans on imposing a 25 per cent inheritance tax on citizens - is this true? "I've been informed of this and I call on the PNM to come clean to the country about this 25 per cent inheritance tax. How long has the Government been having discussions about implementing this on the population? "An inheritance tax is a tax that you pay when you receive money or property from the estate of a deceased person. Unlike an estate tax, the beneficiary of the money or property is responsible for paying the tax, not the estate." Read more here
BUSINESS
Imbert: HSF now US$5.466B
Finance Minister Colm Imbert said yesterday the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) has increased in value this year. At a press conference hosted by the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday, Imbert criticised what he said was a “misleading” Sunday Express article which the finance minister said “bemoaned” what it referred to as a 16 per cent loss in the value of the HSF in 2022. According to Imbert, the net asset value of the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund was US$5.466 billion (TT$37.17 billion) on Friday June 9, 2023. This, he added, is an increase of US$754 million (TT$5.127 billion) in the actual value of the fund over the last nine months since September 2022. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘A big day for the PPP/C’
Amidst the chaos created by a number of opposition members after their “massive” defeat at the local government polls, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, on Monday night decided to bring peace and tranquility by making public the preliminary results which were accumulated by party agents. During a press briefing held at Freedom House, he said it was an “extremely big night for the PPP,” given the fact that the party is anticipating a clean sweep across the country. He further added that after facing a huge loss, members of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) decided to commence the spreading of misinformation in order to cope with the embarrassment of losing support, even in their strongholds. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Donald Trump due in court to face charges over classified files
Donald Trump is due to appear in court in Florida to face charges of mishandling sensitive documents after he left the White House. The former president will enter a courthouse in Miami for an initial hearing on Tuesday, the second time he has appeared in court this year. Miami's police chief said the force was preparing for between 5,000 and 50,000 of his supporters to gather. Mr Trump, meanwhile, spent the night at his hotel resort in the city. The 76-year-old will probably travel by motorcade from the Trump National Doral resort to the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr courthouse where his arraignment is scheduled for around 15:00 local time (20:00 BST). Read more here
13th June 2023